Surrey Fire Fighters Annual Boot Drive
Stop by Guildford Mall, this weekend, and you can help our Surrey Fire Fighters out with their Annual Boot Drive.
A great photo opportunity with a very unique antique fire truck… and the proceeds go to Muscular Dystrophy and the BC Professional Firefighters Burn Fund.
Surrey’s First Agriculture Week
Today in the Plaza at Surrey City hall, we ended (in fine fashion) Surrey’s first Agriculture Week. The week was a great success in our first year and I hope we can take the positive feedback from the attendees and grow (pun intended) this event that highlights the importance of food security and the vastness of our agriculture in Surrey.
The bus tours on Tuesday and Wednesday identified the priorities of preserving our ALR land base in Surrey and Metro Vancouver. Participants were Metro Vancouver planners, elected officials and their staff and our own Agricultural Food Security Advisory Committee (AFSAC) members. Visits were made to Evergreen Herbs, Heppell Potato Corporation, John Volken Academy (Bio Pod), International Herbs and Nicomekl Farms. Thanks to the owners for taking time out of their busy schedule to show us their operations.
On Thursday an Agriculture Land Lease Workshop was held at City hall to roll out the City’s Farmable Now website that is developed to identify and match up future farmers with land owners that have unused farm property. Thanks to the Ministry of Agriculture and Vancity for their sponsorship with this ground-breaking (yes pun intended again) program. On Friday the City hosted the field to food speaker’s forum regarding the Dairy Industry.
The culmination of the first Agricultural week finished with Pie in the Plaza. The rain did not stop BC’s largest blueberry pie from being constructed and deconstructed on site. Many visitors to this free event got a piece of this pie. Thanks to Mark from Price Pro and his crew for building this 8 foot (diameter) blueberry pie and handing out pie to the attendees. The event wrapped up with what I will call the “revenge of the mascot farm animals.” Members of AFSAC, Mike Gay, Bill, Pat and I, lined up to get a pie in the face from various farm mascots. A fan favourite to say the least.
Thanks to all of the Staff and volunteers who set up (in the rain) and tore down Pie in the Plaza. This event could not take place without you!
As part of Agriculture week, our Farm to Table event continues until the end of September. Please take some time to enjoy a Sunday dinner (Tuesday in South Surrey) that features our local farms, which translates to better tasting foods and supports our local economy. (https://mikestarchuk.com/farm-fresh-september/)
The participating restaurants are:
• Bozzinnis – 13655 104 Avenue
• Elements Casino – 17755 60 Avenue
• Maharaja Restaurant – 8148 128 Street
• Old Surrey Restaurant – 13483 72 Avenue
• Royal Oak Restaurant – 15336 Fraser Highway
• Tap Restaurant – 101-15350 34 Avenue ***
• The Taphouse 15330 102A Avenue
*** Tap Restaurant will offer their menu on Tuesdays in September, as the restaurant is closed on Sundays.
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Farm Fresh September
Over the past 18 months, I have been working on ideas to support our local farmers and finding a way to showcase their produce. As the Chair of Surrey’s Agricultural Food Security Advisory Committee, I am elated to introduce a pilot project that showcases locally produced/grown/raised/processed food that will be on the menus of our Surrey restaurants in September. Each town centre has representation and will be offering their preparation of Surrey local food on Sundays in September, with the exception of South Surrey, where Tap Restaurant will be offering their local menu on Tuesdays.
One third (1/3) of the City of Surrey is in the Agricultural Land Reserve. To keep the public aware of this, the menus have been developed to have a minimum of two thirds (2/3) of the menu items coming from the City. As we move through the month of September, those farms that are providing the restaurants their menu items, will be featured on various media platforms.
For more information regarding our local farms and markets go to:
https://www.surrey.ca/3463.aspx
Please take some time to enjoy a Sunday dinner (Tuesday in South Surrey) that features our local farms — which translates to better tasting foods — and supports our local economy.
The participating restaurants are:
• Bozzinnis – 13655 104 Avenue
• Elements Casino – 17755 60 Avenue
• Maharaja Restaurant – 8148 128 Street
• Old Surrey Restaurant – 13483 72 Avenue
• Royal Oak Restaurant – 15336 Fraser Highway
• Tap Restaurant – 101-15350 34 Avenue ***
• The Taphouse 15330 102A Avenue
*** Tap Restaurant will offer their menu on Tuesdays in September, as the restaurant is closed on Sundays.
Click here to read the City of Surrey Media Release regarding Agricultural Week & Farm Fresh Sundays
I Gave Life
It took about 60 minutes to donate blood this afternoon.
I found out today… from Nancy… that it can take less time if you fill out the questionnaire on line and bring in your bar code to your appointment.
So before we get to our BC Day long weekend, book your appointment at https://myaccount.blood.ca/en/donate, fill out your questionnaire online, and come in.
You have the power to give life by donating blood.
#IGaveLife #ItsInYouToGive
New Ideas for New Farmers
Thanks to Stefania Seccia from 24 Hours, for taking the time to meet with me today, to expand on the thoughts and ideas that will give an opportunity to a new generation of farmers. Stefania allowed me, as the Chair of City of Surrey’s Agriculture and Food Security Advisory Committee, to speak to the growing (no pun intended) issues surrounding our farming community. The Surrey Virtual Incubator Farm Project will develop a one-stop shop web portal for aspiring young farmers to get basic agri-business information on how to farm. The project will provide the knowledge for new farmers looking for access to lands that are under-utilized in Surrey. The platform will be similar to sites like VRBO (Vacation Rental by Owner), where landowners will be able to list and provide details of their property and interested farmers can review and make contact for a lease arrangement. Surrey will be the first municipality in BC to take such an innovative and proactive approach to promoting the land lease market in BC’s agriculture sector.
This is innovation and imagination at it’s finest. I can’t wait for a lunch in a Surrey restaurant in 2016, where 80% of the meal is grown and processed within our City boundaries. If we can get some hops grown in the City, I’ll see what can be done to get that meal closer to 100% from Surrey!
(Sadly, the article and other content from 24 Hours Vancouver, is no longer available.)
Surrey Urban Farmers Market
As the Chair of the Agriculture & Food Security Advisory Committee, I am delighted to support the 8th Annual Surrey Urban Farmers Market in the plaza of City Hall. There are approximately 30 local vendors on site, every week, who provide fresh, homemade, and locally grown and produced items for the public to purchase. This keeps our local economy “growing” (pun intended).
The Market runs through October 7th, every Wednesday, from 1 pm to 6 pm at City Hall. Entertainment varies from week to week and there is plenty of space to enjoy yourself in the plaza. Nothing tastes better than produce that has just comes fresh from a farm where you know who grew it and how they grew it. Do you know where the fruit and vegetables you ate tonight came from? I do.
Please join me and others on Wednesdays. Help our Urban Farmers Market and keep the local economy going.
For more information about the Surrey Urban Farmers Market, and the vendors and entertainers participating, please visit the Surrey Market website, at: https://surreymarket.org/
(Click on any image below to open a pop-up gallery)
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